Author Archives: marcia

Slutwalk South Africa

Posted on by

SlutWalk Hits South Africa, Where Rape Is National Crisis

Slutwalk

By SCHALK VAN ZUYDAM   08/20/11 09:17 AM ET   AP

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Women draped sexy lingerie over their street clothes as they marched through Cape Town on Saturday, bringing an international campaign against the notion that a woman’s appearance can excuse attacks to a country where rape is seen as a national crisis.

Some 2,000 protesters walked a route where fans partied during last year’s football World Cup. Men joined in, some of them wearing miniskirts in solidarity. Some protesters pushed their children in strollers and carried signs declaring, “Rapists rape people, not outfits,” and “Weak men rape.”

“SlutWalks” originated in Toronto, Canada, where they were sparked by a police officer’s remark that women could avoid being raped by not dressing like “sluts.”

“It’s very important that women should understand that their dignity should not be taken away from them,” said Tayla Orgill, who was among the Cape Town walkers.

According to the most recent police statistics, more than 55,000 cases of rape and indecent assault were reported in South Africa from 2009 to 2010. The number of sexual offenses against women climbed nearly 20 percent from the previous year, according to police.

fr/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/20/slutwalk-comes-to-safrica_n_932118.html

 

Sunspot Morphing

Posted on by

fr/spaceweather.com

SHAPE-SHIFTING SUNSPOT: Every time you look, sunspot 1271 has a new outline. For the past two days the active region has been in a constant state of change, altering its shape on an hourly basis. Click on the image for 48 hours of shape-shifting:

These rapid changes have caused the sunspot’s magnetic field to criss-cross and tangle. The magnetic field now has a “beta-gamma” configuration that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Any such flares today would be approximately Earth-directed because the sunspot is not far from disk-center.

Sunspot 1271 is so big, it’s catching the attention of observers unaided bysolar telescopes. Sarah E. Baur of Anaconda, Montana, noticed it yesterday through the smoke of a nearby fire:

“Our small town was inundated with smoke from surrounding forest fires,” says Baur. “At 6:30 pm the sun appeared in and out through the thick smoke making a great photo op. I realized after viewing the shots on my monitor that sunspot 1271 is also visible.”

First Hand Reports fr/People who Felt VA Quake

Posted on by

Virginia earthquake “I Have Felt It” reports – currently 72 reports

Last update: August 23, 2011 at 10:16 pm by By Armand Vervaeck and James Daniell

MMI values (if indicated) after the text (III: Weak shaking, IV Light shaking, V Moderate shaking, VI Strong shaking, VII Very Strong shaking)


Gaithersburg, MD – MMI 4 checked – Sitting in basement. House starts shaking, stuff falling off shelves in the basement. Not windy outside.
Buffalo, NY – MMI 4 checked –
Williamsburg VA, USA – MMI 23 checked – At about 1:50 PM EDT felt slight shaking indoors as if a very heavy truck were driving nearby. Caused hanging chimes on grandfather’s clock to ring slightly. Very short duration – 15 to 30 seconds.
Lovettsville, VA, USA – MMI 2 3 Checked – started at 13:53 EST and lasted about 5 seconds

Southport, NC. – MMI 4 checked – Rocked open solid wood doors @ 3 – 6 inches.

Harrisburg, PA – MMI 4 checked – We evacuated our building after the building shook. We went back in when we realized it was almost the entire East Coast felt the shake.
Frederick, MD – MMI 5 checked – The Telephone lines outside were all swaying and inside the cubicles were shaking for probably 5 seconds.
Northern KY – MMI 4 checked – Working on 5th floor of concrete building in greater Cincinnati area. Felt shaking/swaying of building, something in my office made a noise. Scared me. Several people felt it, but some say they didn’t. Happened on 8/23 at about 1:52 pm.
Rockford, OHIO – MMI 23 Checked – At 1:57 p.m. August 23, 2011, my desk chair rocked back and forth for two minutes, while the windown shade tapped rapidly and lightly on the glass.
Clarksburg WV – MMI 4 checked – Vibrations felt, items slightly shaking.
Pointe Claire, QC – MMI Checked – I was sitting in a medical building (2nd floor) waiting for my appointment when the floor started to sway.  The doctor considered getting out through the window but they didn’t open.  We all sat them dumbstruck, not knowing what to do.  Luckily it didn’t last long…

to read more reports, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2011/08/23/virginia-earthquake-i-have-felt-it-reports/

More on Colorado/New Mexico Earthquake

Posted on by

Unusually strong earthquake in Colorado / New Mexico, United States – Roads have been damaged

Last update: August 23, 2011 at 2:11 pm by By Armand Vervaeck and James Daniell

Earthquake overview : After having experienced a foreshock with a magnitude of 4.6 at 5:30 PM on August 22, a second strong mainshock measuring 5.3 magnitude (5.5 initially reported)  scared the Trinidad, Raton area.

Landscape near Trinidad, Colorado – Panoramio image courtesy Slakingfool – http://www.panoramio.com/photo/31935674

UPDATE : A few homes have been damaged during this earthquake. No collapsed homes, but cracks in walls, broken windows, collapsed chimneys, etc.  Earthquake-Report.com labels this as ‘minor damage’

UPDATE : Report from a girl on facebook : My father lives West of Trinidad (epicenter area ER) (Valdez-Segundo area) His chimney collapsed, walls were cracked, dishes broken. Some objects fell off the wall, but luckily everybody is safe.

UPDATE : Colorado State Patrol is reporting there is damage to I25 near mile markers 5 and 8. That is south of Trinidad, near the New Mexico border. Las Animas County reports damage to highway 12.  They also say there is structural damage to some buildings in the area.

to read more, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2011/08/23/unusually-strong-earthquake-in-colorado-new-mexico-united-states/

Colorado/New Mexico Shaken by 5.3 Earthquake

Posted on by
Largest Colorado quake since 1973 shakes homes

By STEVEN K. PAULSON, Associated Press – 14 hours ago

DENVER (AP) — The largest earthquake to strike Colorado in almost 40 years shook hundreds of people in the southern part of the state and in northern New Mexico, causing minor damage to a few homes.

The magnitude 5.3 temblor was recorded at about 11:46 p.m. MDT Monday about nine miles southwest of Trinidad, Colo., according to the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo. That area is near the New Mexico border is and about halfway between Denver and Albuquerque, N.M. The quake followed three smaller ones that hit the area earlier in the day.

U.S. Geological Service geophysicist Shengzao Chen said the information center had received calls from more than 70 people in Trinidad and several dozen people in New Mexico who felt the shaking. More than 30 people in Colorado Springs, Colo., about 130 miles north of Trinidad, also reported feeling the quake, he said.

USGS geophysicist Jessica Sigala said Tuesday that Monday’s earthquake damaged chimneys, cracked walls and knocked items off shelves, but there were no injuries.

A few homes were damaged and there were rockslides on Colorado Highway 12 and Interstate 25, but both highways remained open, a Las Animas County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher said Tuesday.

to read more, go to:    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5heS7XOwREfIGoPBf5T1o6y0JSjWg?docId=5dd8b5649b844f178a0ba72e2ab2fbf5

More on Irene

Posted on by

Hurricane Irene upgraded to Category Two, TWS projects Category Four in the Bahamas and U.S. Coast

Published on August 22, 2011 5:35 pm PT
– By Jim Duran – Writer
– Article Editor and Approved – Warren Miller


(TheWeatherSpace.com) — Aircraft from NOAA has found 100 mph sustained winds in Irene and TWS Senior Meteorologist Kevin Martin says this will be a Category Three within the next 24 hours.
“I finally have produced an intensity map and will be conservative with a max of Category 4 in-which The Bahamas will see this damaging hurricane on up to my landfall point between Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina.” said Martin.

Hurricane Irene is strengthening faster than projections as it moves into warmer waters and misses the Dominican Republic’s 10,000 foot peaks.

Martin says in his latest forecast video that it could end up going to a Category Five but that is not going to be projected for another 24 hours.

All interests from Florida to New England should keep an eye on future updates.

to read more and see the video, go to:    http://www.theweatherspace.com/news/TWS-08_22_2011_irenecattwo.html

Tuesday Could Bring Severe Weather

Posted on by

Tuesday could be BIG for Severe Weather

Posted: August 21, 2011 by Storm Central in Uncategorized

 

Tuesday could lead to interesting day for Severe Weather. With a un seasonal dip in the Jet over the Midwest, we could see a nice severe weather day for portions of the Midwest. As of now, tornadoes don’t look like a huge threat but the chance is a bit higher from previous summer outlooks. States included would be: IL, WIS, Iowa, MN, MO and this outlook below will likely expand. Graphical Updates tomorrow on this situation.
The area below will likely go to a 30% chance by tonight by the SPC.

 

d

 

 

Tornado Devastates Goderich, Ontario

Posted on by

Powerful tornado kills man in Goderich, Ontario

Dozens injured in southwestern Ontario community

The Canadian Press

Posted: Aug 21, 2011 5:01 PM ET

Last Updated: Aug 22, 2011 1:35 AM ET

Read 109comments109

A police officer surveys tornado damage in Goderich, Ont., on Sunday. One man died, dozens were hurt and the community's downtown was devastated.A police officer surveys tornado damage in Goderich, Ont., on Sunday. One man died, dozens were hurt and the community’s downtown was devastated. (Geoff Robins/Canadian Press)

The most powerful tornado to hit the province in years swept through the southwestern Ontario town of Goderich Sunday afternoon, killing one person and devastating the picturesque community on the shores of Lake Huron.

Downtown businesses, century-old buildings and several churches lost their roofs and upper floors as the twister ripped through the town.

Images show downed power lines, trees and debris strewn across streets, while witnesses described cars being picked up and thrown like toys.

for the rest of the story, go to:    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/08/21/ontario-weather-watch.html

Irene Set to Ascend the Coast

Posted on by

Long range tracking of Irene has the Carolinas as a landfall point, then New York

Published on August 22, 2011 6:10 am PT
– By Jim Duran – Writer
– Article Editor and Approved – Warren Miller


Click for 8/20/11 Update map

(TheWeatherSpace.com) — Confidence is growing stronger on a landfall point with Hurricane Irene as it leaves Puerto Rico.

It was around this time where TheWeatherSpace.com Senior Meteorologist Kevin Martin went for where Hurricane Earl would be, closer to the North Carolina coast than models had shown.

Now, Martin has released his long range track given where Irene is now and says this is going to be a Major Hurricane.

“The storm will be deadly, likely hitting between Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina before heading inland across North Carolina and then hitting Long Island, New York down the line,” said Martin. “The storm is finding a weakness in the ridge with the trough in the area and this is why I am giving it such a sharp northward turn.”

If Martin’s track is correct, Hurricane Irene will be similar to Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

Everyone in the Bahamas needs to prepare now for Hurricane conditions as well as up the Southeastern U.S. coast.

The system will affect more than the coast, it should have Hurricane force winds inland as well when it hits land. Martin’s path brings this to New York as a dying, but still strong storm system.

fr/http://www.theweatherspace.com/news/TWS-08_22_2011_longrangeirene.html